Game Information ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Detroit Tigers Media Relations Department w Comerica Park w Phone (313) 471-2000 w Fax (313) 471-2138 w Detroit, MI 48201 w www.tigers.com Twitter - @DetroitTigersPR, @tigers, @TigresdeDetroit Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals Tuesday, June 17, 2014 Comerica Park, Detroit, MI Game Time - 7:08 p.m. EDT RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers dropped the series opener to the Royals 11-8 on Monday TIGERS AT A GLANCE night at Comerica Park. Rajai Davis was 3x5 with a run scored, a double and two RBI to lead the Detroit offense. Victor Martinez added two hits, scored two runs and drove in a Record: 36-30 / Streak: L1 run. J.D. Martinez hit a ninth inning grand slam and had four RBI. Justin Verlander started Game #67 / Home #36 for Detroit and took the loss after giving up seven runs on 12 hits, walking two and Home: 18-17 / Road: 18-13 striking out two in 6.0 innings. The Tigers and Royals play game two of their four-game series tonight. Following the series vs. the Royals, the Tigers embark on a nine-game road Tonight’s Scheduled Starters trip, which will include three-game series’ at Cleveland, Texas and Houston. RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Yordano Ventura FOURTH AL ALL-STAR BALLOT UPDATE: The fourth American League balloting update (8-2, 3.05) (4-5, 3.20) for the 85th All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Target Field in Minneapolis, was announced on Monday evening. Miguel Cabrera, who is an eight-time All- TV/Radio Star and is looking to start the All-Star Game for the second straight year, leads all FSD/MLBN/1270 AM & 97.1 FM American League first basemen and ranks third overall in the AL with 2,030,773 votes. Ian Kinsler, who is seeking his fourth career All-Star selection and first starting assignment, TIGERS VS. ROYALS ranks second among AL second basemen with 1,117,345 votes. Tigers are also among the leaders at designated hitter (Victor Martinez, third place) and outfield (Torii Hunter, ninth 2014 Record: 5-1 place). 2014 at Home: 2-1 TIGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FIRST ROUND PICK HILL: The Detroit Tigers today 2014 at Kansas City: 3-0 announced the club has agreed to terms with outfielder Derek Hill from Elk Grove High All-Time Record: 307-306 School, the club’s first round selection (23rd overall) in the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Time at Home: 163-146 First-Year Player Draft. Hill hit .500 (47x94) with 26 runs scored, 11 doubles, seven triples and 30 RBI as a senior at Elk Grove High School in 2014. Hill stole 29 bases and posted a All-Time at Comerica Park: 71-59 .586 on base percentage. The club has agreed to terms with 24 players, including Hill, All-Time at Kansas City: 144-160 from this year’s draft. HARDY MAKES MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT: Blaine Hardy made his major league debut in 2014 Game Log last night’s game, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings with one hit allowed, two walks and two Date Site Result Winner/Loser/Save strikeouts. He is the 18th Tigers reliever to toss 2.0-or-more scoreless innings in their 3/31 DET W, 4-3 Nathan/Davis major league debut and the first since Al Alburquerque on April 15, 2011 versus Oakland. 4/2 DET W, 2-1 (10) Alburquerque/Collins DAVIS DOING DAMAGE ON THE BASEPATHS: Rajai Davis enters tonight’s game 4/3 DET PPD., rain ranked second in the American League with 20 stolen bases. Davis’ 20 steals this season 5/2 KC W, 8-2 Porcello/Shields are the most for a Tigers player since Quintin Berry stole 21 bases in 2012. Davis leads the American League with 261 stolen bases since 2008. 5/3 KC W, 9-2 Smyly/Duffy 5/4 KC W, 9-4 Verlander/Vargas CABRERA ON THE MARK VS. KANSAS CITY: Miguel Cabrera has put together impressive numbers in his career against the Kansas City Royals. Entering tonight’s game, 6/16 DET L, 11-8 Vargas/Verlander Cabrera is hitting .324 (140x432) with 30 doubles, 21 home runs and 81 RBI in 116 6/17 DET career games vs. the Royals. Cabrera ranks seventh among all active players with 21 6/18 DET home runs, eighth with 81 RBI and tied for 10th with 140 hits against the Royals. Cabrera 6/19 DET has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games against Kansas City. 7/10 KC STREAKING: J.D. Martinez enters tonight’s game on a six-game hitting streak. Over his 7/11 KC last six games, Martinez is hitting .348 (8x23) with two runs scored, three doubles, one 7/12 KC home run and six RBI. 7/13 KC TIGERS AT THE TOP IN HITTING: The Tigers currently lead the American League with a 9/8 DET .275 team batting average. Individually, Victor Martinez leads the American League with a 9/9 DET .335 (84x251) batting average, while Miguel Cabrera is fifth with a .322 (82x255) batting average. 9/10 DET 9/19 KC TIGERS TIDBITS: Bryan Holaday was 1x2 in last night’s game and is now hitting .340 (18x53) over his last 20 games...J.D. Martinez hit his second career grand slam in the 9/20 KC ninth inning of last night’s game. It was his first grand slam since June 14, 2012 at San 9/21 KC Francisco. STREAKS REPLAY RUNDOWN: The Tigers have been involved in 45 instant replay challenges so far this season. Detroit has challenged 19 plays with 10 plays being overturned, five plays Last five games: 3-2 confirmed and four plays standing as called. Opponents have made 22 challenges with 15 Last 10 games: 5-5 plays being overturned, two plays confirmed and five plays standing as called. The Last 15 games: 5-10 umpires have initiated four reviews with two plays being confirmed and two plays overturned. Last 20 games: 8-12 NOTES ON THE SKIPPER: Brad Ausmus is in his first season at the helm for the Tigers after being named the 37th manager in Tigers history on November 3, 2013. THIS DATE IN TIGERS HISTORY - According to Stats, LLC, became the first manager since Clint Hurdle of Colorado and 1967 - A nine-hour and five-minute double- Jerry Royster of Milwaukee in 2002 to begin his career with four straight wins. - Becomes just the 14th manager in Tigers history to have also played at the major league header between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas level for Detroit, joining Alan Trammell, Dick Tracewski, Billy Martin, Bob Swift, Billy City Athletics sets a major league record for Hitchcock, Fred Hutchinson, Mickey Cochrane, Del Baker, Bucky Harris, George Moriarty, Ty the longest ever. The first game includes a rain Cobb, Hughie Jennings and Bobby Lowe. delay, and the second goes 19 innings before - Spent 18 seasons as a catcher at the major league level with the Padres (1993-96), a Dave Duncan home run gives the Athletics a Tigers (1996, 1999-2000), Astros (1997-1998, 2001-07) and Dodgers (2009-10)...made 6-5 victory. Detroit wins the opener, 7-6. eight postseason appearances as a player, including two trips to the American League Championship Series and one to the World Series. 2008 - Marcus Thames homers for the fifth INJURY UPDATE: RHP Joel Hanrahan (right elbow surgery, 15-day DL on May 2), RHP game in a row. His last eight hits have all been Luke Putkonen (right elbow inflammation, 15-day DL on April 19), RHP Bruce Rondon home runs. (right elbow surgery/UCL reconstruction, 60-day DL on March 29), INF Jose Iglesias (bilateral tibial stress fractures, 60-day DL on March 29), OF Andy Dirks (lower back surgery/microdiscectomy, 60-day DL on March 29). TIGERS UPCOMING GAME DETAILS TIGERS OPPONENTS DATE OPPONENT GAME TIME PROBABLE PITCHER PROBABLE PITCHER TV/RADIO Wednesday Kansas City 1:08 p.m. LHP Drew Smyly RHP Jeremy Guthrie FSD/1270 & 97.1 (3-5, 3.58) (3-6, 4.04) Thursday Kansas City 1:08 p.m. RHP Anibal Sanchez LHP Danny Duffy FSD/MLBN/1270 & 97.1 (3-2, 2.44) (4-5, 2.83) All times Eastern. Radio coverage on AM 1270 and 97.1 FM The Ticket, unless otherwise noted. Local TV coverage provided by FOX Sports Detroit (FSD) and FOX Sports Detroit Plus (FSD PLUS). TIGERS AT A GLANCE IN 2014 vs. AL East: 10-5 Scoring five-or-more runs: 25-4 Lead after 6th/7th/8th inning: 30-4/31-3/32-3 vs. AL Central: 15-13 Scoring four-or-less runs: 11-26 Trail after 6th/7th/8th inning: 3-20/1-24/1-26 vs. AL West: 9-9 Extra-innings: 2-3 Tied after 6th/7th/8th inning: 3-6/4-3/3-1 vs. NL: 2-3 One-run games: 11-8 Tigers out hit opponent: 29-7 Tigers score first: 21-11 Tigers get quality start: 26-11 Opponent out hits Tigers: 5-22 Opponents score first: 15-19 Tigers starter works 6+ innings: 29-17 Tigers and opponent have equal hits: 2-1 © Detroit Tigers, 2014 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... World Series Champions w 1935 w 1945 w 1968 w 1984 June 17, 2014 TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTER - MAX SCHERZER ‘14 Season (Detroit): 8-2, 3.05 ERA, 14 G, 14 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 94.1 IP, 84 H, 32 R, 32 ER, 28 BB, 106 SO.